Jim Sims

Matt Smith, 27, twice an All-Pacific 10 Conference rower for UCLA, has been named an assistant to Jim Sims, UCLA varsity coach, and freshman coach. Smith, who works at TRW in Redondo Beach, was the Bruin lightweight coach last season. A graduate of Arcadia High School, Smith holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's in business administration. Vinnie Heid won the senior championship in the September tournament of the Penmar Men's Golf Club. He shot a 35 for nine holes.

Even laypeople have learned in the past several years that a major cause of ulcers is infection by Helicobacter pylori, and that an effective treatment for such ulcers is antibiotics. Why hasn't Health columnist Kristl Buluran ("Don't Let Ulcers Get So Bad You Need Surgery," Feb. 15) kept up? --IRWIN B. MARGILOFF Via e-mail In the article by Kristl Buluran on Feb. 15, I was surprised that there was only one mention (the last sentence) of the involvement of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

Southern California Rideshare has a new suggestion for getting to work: Try surfing, they say, on the World Wide Web. The address is http://www.scag.ca.gov/commute. There you can find out how to use public transit to get between two specific points, fill out a form for a personalized RideGuide that will list all your commute options or register for a biking buddy if you'd like to bike to work and want a partner.

With home prices skyrocketing and lenders requiring increasingly large down payments, you might be thinking about buying a home with someone else. Perhaps you have some extra money that you can use to help your children buy a home or maybe you're the one who needs help with the down payment.

Neither more rail lines nor tinkering with workers' hours will chase away the smog in Los Angeles County's air because one would cost too much and the other would be fought by commuters, according to a transportation report released Monday. The county Transportation Commission's Transit Committee said it would be far better to increase ride-sharing programs and encourage cleaner-running vehicles. The report criticized the Southern California Assn.

While your recent article on car pooling ("Congestion Fails to Drive Motorists to Car Pooling," Part A, Sept. 17) is factual, it may leave readers with the mistaken impression that our commuting future is gloomy and gridlock unavoidable. In fact, there is good cause for optimism. It's true that last year only 14% of the population car-pooled. But that figure remained steady while the number of commuters grew by about 300,000. That means the number of car-poolers this year increased by approximately 42,000.

Nearly two dozen Southland businesses and individuals have been honored during the second annual Rideshare Diamond Awards, a recognition for their efforts to promote carpooling. "Businesses and employers play an important role in the promotion of ridesharing and alternative commuting, and it is important to acknowledge their efforts to limit the number of cars on our roads and enhance our overall air quality," said Jim Sims, director of Southern California Rideshare.

UCLA oarsmen, acknowledging their readiness for an international reputation, announced Thursday that they will row against eights from England's Oxford University and the University of California at Marina del Rey on April 12. At a press conference at the J.D. Morgan Athletic Center, rowing Coach Jim Sims said the event also would be his eight's statement against recent athletic department reviews questioning the financing of crew and its continuance as a university activity.

Two Ventura County businesses were among 23 companies honored at the second annual Rideshare Diamond Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion through the promotion of ride-sharing and other alternatives to driving alone. The event is sponsored by Southern California Rideshare, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Ventura County Transportation Commission.

Commuters across Southern California will ride their bicycles to work or school today in celebration of Bike to Work Day. The campaign, part of the statewide California Bike Commute Week, aims to introduce people to the benefits of bicycle commuting. "There's nothing like rising gasoline prices to remind commuters that there are less costly ways to get to work than driving alone," said Jim Sims, director of Southern California Rideshare.